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arXiv:1510.04334 · Physical Review A

Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in sodium vapor with picosecond laser pulses

Jim L. Hicks, Chakree Tanjaroon, Susan Davis Allen, Matt Tilley, Steven H. Hoke, J. Bruce Johnson

Published Aug 1, 2017• 1 citation
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Abstract

Experimental measurements and calculations of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage transfer efficiencies were made on a sodium gas starting from the $3{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ electronic ground state, passing through the $3{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ and/or the $3{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ to the $5{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}$ state. The lasers used in the experiments had a pulse width of several picoseconds and were close to the Fourier transform limit. Although the linewidth of the laser was much smaller than the spin orbit splitting between the $3\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{2}P_{1/2}$ and $3\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{2}P_{3/2}$ states, Experiments and calculations reveal that both 3p states play a role in the transfer efficiency when the lasers are tuned to resonance through the $3{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ state, revealing evidence of quantum interference between the competing pathways.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.96.023803

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Experimental measurements and calculations of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage transfer efficiencies were made on a sodium gas starting from the 32S1/23{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}32S1/2​ electronic ground state, passing through the 32P1/23{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}32P1/2​ and/or the 32P3/23{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}32P3/2​ to the 52S1/25{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{S}_{1/2}52S1/2​ state. The lasers used in the experiments had a pulse width of several picoseconds and were close to the Fourier transform limit. Although the linewidth of the laser was much smaller than the spin orbit splitting between the 32P1/23\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{2}P_{1/2}32P1/2​ and 32P3/23\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{2}P_{3/2}32P3/2​ states, Experiments and calculations reveal that both 3p states play a role in the transfer efficiency when the lasers are tuned to resonance through the 32P1/23{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{1/2}32P1/2​ state, revealing evidence of quantum interference between the competing pathways.
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RbCs molecules in the electronic, rovibrational and hyperfine ground state, using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage to transfer the molecules from a weakly bound Feshbach state. We measure one-way transfer efficiencies of 92(1)% and fully characterise the strengths and linewidths of the transitions used. We model the transfer, including a Monte Carlo simulation of the laser noise, and find this matches well with both the transfer efficiency and our previous measurements of the laser linewidth and frequency stability.
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